Martin O’Neill reckons Henrik Larsson would be a ‘great fit’ to replace Neil Lennon at Celtic.

But the Republic of Ireland boss ruled out a shock return to Parkhead himself, insisting ‘that torch has passed’.

“I had a really great time, loved it immensely and I might have still been there if not for other reasons,” he said last night.

“It is a great club but no, the torch has passed and it goes on to other people.

“But honestly, you have to be there to realise just how brilliant a club it is.”

Larsson is the bookies favourite to fill the void and the Falkenbergs boss last night left the door wide open to an approach.

O’Neill, who won three league titles with the Glasgow giants between 2000 and 2005, said of his former striker last night: “He would be a great fit as manager.

“Henrik was a phenomenal player for me.

“You could be in a tight spot in a game and you would look to him to pull you out.

“He then went on to great things at short periods with Barcelona and Manchester United and proved he could score goals anywhere in Europe.

Henrik Larsson of Celtic in action during the Bank of Scotland Scottish Premier League game between Celtic and Dundee United played (Photo: Getty)

O’Neill added: “I don’t think you can ever tell whether anyone wants to be a manager or would make a manager.

“But Henrik has some experience of it now and is a very intelligent boy.

“He knows the game inside out and was a brilliant, brilliant player for me.

“He was as brave as they come and I really cannot speak highly enough of him. Why shouldn’t he be manager?”

But O’Neill has absolutely no intention of returning to Celtic as boss himself, having stepped down in 2005 after his wife took ill.

He remains fully committed to international management – at least for the duration of the Republic of Ireland’s European Championship qualifying campaign.

O’Neill said last night of his love affair with the Hoops: “I wanted to manage Celtic and I have never regretted it.

“I am really delighted that I became one of however many managers that they have had in their history - and they have a great history. But it is gone, it is in the past.”

(Photo: Getty)

As for Lennon, O’Neill is confident that the departing Celtic boss can be a success in the English game.

He signed his fellow Northern Ireland international at Leicester City and then brought him to Parkhead.

And O’Neill said: “He has really good experience now and has the experience of managing one of the best clubs in the world.

“He has taken that on and it will stand him in good stead.

“Whatever he chooses to do is up to Neil himself as he is his own man,

“I know Neil particularly well as I signed him twice as a player.

“I don’t really know the reasons for him leaving but he was good for Celtic, particularly the year he did brilliantly in the Champions League.”

Meanwhile, Parkhead is still the most likely venue for Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifier with Scotland in November - but a decision has not yet been finalised.

O’Neill would relish the chance to return to Celtic’s home ground where he is regarded as a hero but Ibrox has not yet been discounted.

Martin O'Neill looks on with assistant manager Roy Keane before the start of the international friendly football match between the Republic of Ireland and Latvia at Aviva Stadium (Photo: Getty)

Martin O’Neill hit the training ground yesterday and told his squad: Play your way into my Euros team.

The Republic of Ireland boss kicked off day one of a 20-day camp that takes in four games against Turkey, Italy, Costa Rica and Portugal.

And 24 of the 29-man squad were on hand at Gannon Park ahead of Sunday’s first game with Turkey at Aviva Stadium.

Skipper Robbie Keane was missing as he is not linking up with the squad until they hit America for the June 6 clash with Costa Rica in Philadelphia. And QPR’s Kevin Doyle and the Derby trio of Richard Keogh, Jeff Hendrick and Conor Sammon are excused because of tomorrow’s Championship play-off final.

Only Hull City’s David Meyler sat out yesterday’s session because of a slight calf injury that required a scan last night.

O’Neill said: “I think he was feeling it for a few weeks but he got through the FAI Cup final. I don’t think it is anything to overly concern ourselves with in the long term.”

Considering these games come at the end of such a long and gruelling season, O’Neill was pleased with the attendance in Malahide yesterday.

And he urged every player to step up to the mark over the next three weeks and play their way into his team for the Georgia qualifier on September 7.

O’Neill said: “I think most of the players will tell you that they will give it a fair crack and I am hoping that 99 percent of them will tell you by September that they have.”

He added: “It is terrific for me to have the players for this length of time and the games we have are strong ones.

“I was not choosing matches to try and improve our coefficient.

“They could not come more difficult but I still want to win them.”

Henrik Larsson

MARTIN O’NEILL would not be surprised to see Roy Keane linked with Celtic - but does not fear losing his assistant manager.

The Scottish champions are looking for a new boss after Neil Lennon quit yesterday and Henrik Larsson is the hot favourite.

Ex-Celtic player Keane is also on bookies shortlists but O’Neill insists that is not a distraction ahead of Ireland’s summer games.

“Roy is pretty well committed to here,” said O’Neill last night.

“There have been a number of things which he has been linked to and I think he would let me know .

“If something did come up, that became so difficult that he must have a thought about it, I would give it plenty of consideration and talk it through with him.”

O’Neill added of Keane being linked with clubs: “Roy has a lot of enthusiasm for this job (but) with the sort of profile he is re-gathering again I am not really surprised.

“It is maybe even good for him and as a byproduct of all that, it is maybe nice to be linked with a lot of things. But I am hoping that if anything did develop, we could have a chat about it.

“Roy has an affinity with Celtic having stepped out of Man United to play for Celtic when he had an opportunity to play in Spain - but he turned that down to go to Celtic so I am sure his name will be linked.”

The Republic of Ireland boss continued: “It started off with a number of things, with him as assistant manager to Louis Van Gaal and that has not materialised.

“I am sure he would tell me first of all what might be happening if that was the case and then I would have a discussion with him.

“If it was something so extraordinary that would seriously have to think about it, I could understand that, but that has not happened.”

And with the Euro 2016 qualifiers looming large in September, O’Neill is convinced Keane wants to be a part of that.

The Derryman added: “I accept that lots of things can happen but I think he is pretty well committed at this minute.”

Steve Walford and Steve Guppy linked up with the Republic of Ireland squad in Malahide yesterday for the first time. The pair are trusted aides of Martin O'Neill and have joined his backroom staff as coaches on a temporary basis for the next three weeks. But O'Neill has still not ruled out the prospect of them being on board by the time the Euro 2016 qualifiers start in September. O'Neill worked with Walford at Sunderland, Aston Villa, Celtic, Leicester, Norwich and Wycombe. And Guppy was part of O'Neill's staff at Sunderland and played under him at Celtic, Leicester and Wycombe. Assistant boss Roy Keane led yesterday's session but will miss training tomorrow because of TV commitments at the Champions League final in Lisbon later that night. He will return in time for Sunday's clash with Turkey but O'Neill admitted last night that Keane feels 'a bit uncomfortable' about leaving the squad for 24 hours.